By £350m to upgrade East Coast Main Line
The government is to provide £350m for an upgraded signalling system on the East Coast Main Line, it has been announced.
It will be the UK’s first digital signalling system on a long-distance rail route.
The technology is to be installed along a 100 mile stretch of the East Coast Main Line between London and Lincolnshire.
The Department for Transport said that this will enable trains to run closer together and increase frequency, speed and reliability.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps added:
“As the country recovers from Covid-19 we want to speed up our economy and reap the benefits of new transport technology.
“The Victorians gave us the world’s first great rail network and now it’s our turn to be modern transport pioneers and build on that great tradition.
“Upgrading this country’s conventional signalling system, and giving drivers technology fit for the 21st century, will boost train performance, cut delays, improve safety and support the supply chain.
“This is just the beginning. In time, we will digitise signalling right across the country to make good on our promise of better reliability and punctuality for passengers.
“Passengers shouldn’t have to worry about missing connections or being late home to see their children, and I’ve been clear that getting the trains to run on time is a personal priority.”
Much of the rail signalling in the UK still uses Victorian technology, with line-side traffic lights controlling the trains.
Currently, the digital signalling system is already used on some London Underground lines.
The government funding is on top of a £1.2bn investment to improve journeys on the East Coast Main Line between 2014 and 2024.
No date for when the new signalling will be operational has been given yet.
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